ODES Integrated Annunciation for GIS Switchgear

Executive Summary

Gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) bays expose many alarm points—run status, lockout, SF₆ pressure, temperature/humidity, and auxiliaries. Traditional designs stitch together scattered pilot lamps, relays, and buzzers, creating wiring density, space pressure, and maintenance overhead. A centralized annunciation unit consolidates point acquisition, indication, audible/visual control, and a hardwired total-alarm output into one device, cutting panel space and wiring while improving serviceability.

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System Context

GIS bays must deliver complete alarm logic—acknowledge, recall, total alarm, and audible control—within tight panel real estate. The challenge is the combination of high point count and dispersion. Centralizing these functions at the bay level produces a minimal, repeatable alarm panel rather than a “lamp farm” of discrete components.

Solution Overview: Centralized Alarm Unit

Scalable channels. Provide 6, 12, 16, and 24-channel options to match per-bay density. Each channel has a DI input and an equivalent NO relay output, enabling one-for-one replacement of legacy lamp/relay/buzzer circuits.

Alarm indication behavior. On any new event, the corresponding indicator flashes (~2 Hz). Operators can acknowledge via the LAMP key, or the unit auto-acknowledges after ~10 s, transitioning to steady-on. When the condition clears, the indicator extinguishes—aligned with substation operating habits.

Total alarm and power-fail alarm. The ALARM (total alarm) contact closes on any active channel. On loss of supply, the ALARM contact also closes for a fail-safe power-fail alarm—“alarm if anything is wrong, and alarm on loss of power.”

Audible management. 12/16/24-channel models include a dedicated SOUND contact and SOUND acknowledge. Audible starts on a new event and is silenced on acknowledge or timeout. The 6-channel model keeps LAMP/TEST/RECALL keys for compact applications without separate audible control.

HMI and labeling. Replaceable label films with a printable template support clean, consistent channel naming. On-site retagging is quick and preserves panel appearance.

Integration with Station and Master Systems

The hard ALARM contact is wired as the hardware total-alarm input to supervisory systems so masters immediately capture any per-channel event. The SOUND contact drives local audibles and is kept independent from master event/mute authority, preventing remote silencing of bay buzzers. This preserves clear roles between local annunciation and SCADA/HMI.

Fleet Standardization and Maintainability

For multi-site programs, consistent naming and layout are critical. Replaceable film labels and print templates enforce project-level naming rules, ensuring as-built panels match design. The 6/12/16/24 variants right-size each bay—no over-provisioning, fewer stacked devices, and fewer potential failure points. Centralization reduces wiring density, eases troubleshooting, and shortens commissioning.

For GIS bays with numerous, dispersed alarms, a centralized annunciation unit consolidates the entire chain—detection, indication, audible, recall, and total alarm—into a single, scalable device. Utilities and EPCs gain reduced panel space and wiring, cleaner SCADA integration, consistent labeling, fail-safe behavior, and faster builds and maintenance.

If you are planning a retrofit or a new GIS bay, we can provide a fast, engineering-led path to a centralized annunciation standard:

1. Share a bay-level I/O list (alarm points, signal polarity, desired latching/acknowledge behavior) and environmental requirements.

2. We return a mapped channel plan (6/12/16/24), terminal schedule, and a wiring-reduction estimate, plus label templates for copy-exact builds.

3. Confirm total-alarm and audible domains (local vs. master) and approve the FAT/SAT checklists.

4. Execute a pilot on one bay; capture lessons learned; then roll out across the fleet with consistent naming and documentation.

Contact: 📩 tonyzhang@odes-electric.com

Or visit: www.odes-electric.com

Deliverables include the device specification, BOM, terminal diagrams, label sheets, FAT/SAT procedures, and commissioning records to support standardization and future audits. Engage us early; we’ll de-risk the transition and compress your outage window.

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